title: Congenital heart disease in 37,294 births in Tunisia: birth prevalence and mortality rate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the previously unknown birth incidence, treatment, and mortality of children with congenital heart disease in Tunisia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a retrospective review of medical records of all patients who were born in 2010 and 2011, and were diagnosed in Sfax (Tunisia) with congenital heart defect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 37,294 births, 255 children were detected to have congenital heart disease, yielding a birth incidence of 6.8 per 1000. The most frequently occurring conditions were ventricular septal defects (31%), ostium secundum atrial septal defects (12.9%), and pulmonary valve abnormalities (12%). Coarctation of the aorta, tetralogy of Fallot, univentricular physiology, pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect, and transposition of the great arteries were found in 4.3%, 6.2%, 3.4%, 2.7%, and 2.7%, respectively. During the follow-up of 1 year, 23% of the children died. About three-quarters of those deaths happened before surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study is in line with the general estimates in the world. It has revealed a high case of mortality among the patients awaiting corrective surgery. These children need more facilities.
authors.affiliation: 1Cardiology Department,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Dorra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.affiliation: 1Cardiology Department,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elloumi
authors.affiliation: 1Cardiology Department,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.affiliation: 1Cardiology Department,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Souad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mallek
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Pediatrics,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aloulou
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Pediatrics,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imen
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chabchoub
authors.affiliation: 3Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bouraoui
authors.affiliation: 3Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Afef
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thabet
authors.affiliation: 4Pediatric Intensive Care Unit,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Lamia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Forensic Medicine,Habib Bourguiba Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zribi
authors.affiliation: 6Department of Epidemiology,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sourour
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yaich
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Pediatrics,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mongia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hachicha
authors.affiliation: 3Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Abdellatif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gargouri
authors.affiliation: 4Pediatric Intensive Care Unit,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Abdelmajid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahfoudh
authors.affiliation: 5Department of Forensic Medicine,Habib Bourguiba Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maatoug
authors.affiliation: 6Department of Epidemiology,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Jamel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dammak
authors.affiliation: 1Cardiology Department,Hedi Chaker Hospital,Sfax,Tunisia.
authors.forename: Samir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kammoun
mesh_terms: D001723:Birth Rate / Q000639:trends*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology